Daniel Mitov Ready for Foreign Minister Role Amid Geopolitical Test in Bulgaria
Daniel Mitov, Deputy Chairman of GERB, has expressed his readiness to assume the position of Acting Foreign Minister
Former Bulgarian Interior Minister in the GERB Cabinet, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has been charged Friday with large-scale embezzlement.
Tsvetanov, who is an MP from the opposition center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, will now face a third trial.
He was summoned Friday morning at Sofia's Investigative Office, charged and released on own recognizance. He is banned from leaving the country.
According to the prosecuting authority, Tsvetanov embezzled BGN 50 000 from the budget of the Interior Ministry to the benefit of Orlin Todorov, former head of the Interior's Chief Directorate "Combating Organized Crime" (GDBOP) in Veliko Tarnovo.
During his term in office as Interior Minister, Tsvetanov ordered that Todorov be paid salary for a period when he had been removed from office and was kept in custody in the prison in Lovech. Pursuant to Tsvetanov's order, Todorov was paid salary and compensation for untaken holidays for the period he spent in prison, as well as 20 salaries upon his retirement from the Interior.
Tsvetanov denies any wrongdoing and upon leaving the investigation on Friday said that he expected a fourth charge now.
His lawyer, Menko Menkov, announced he will file a claim with the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, for systematic violations of the "innocent until proven guilty" presumption.
"As far as I remember, during pretrial proceedings against Orlin Todorov the prosecution found no evidence of the charges. In connection with the case, the disciplinary authority has proposed to me to sanction him with reprimand, which I imposed," the former Minister said at the beginning of November.
He further explained that at the same time Todorov has been denied access to classified information, which is not grounds for dismissal, but for reassignment to a position that does not require such access. Dismissal is required when an employee refuses to take the offered position or a suitable vacant one, but he or she still receives the full amount of the compensation due to them under the Ministry of Interior Act, Tsvetanov said.
Meanwhile Todorov has applied to leave police work on grounds of mutual accord with the Ministry. Under the Ministry of Interior Act, a 30-day notice is required for this. The restrictions to release from duty on such grounds include ongoing disciplinary proceedings, which in this case were over. Another reason is effective conviction, which is not available to date, two years later, added the former Interior Minister.
"If I did not do what I have done, Todorov could sue the Interior Ministry for wrongful dismissal and would have been entitled to a large compensation," Tsvetanov concluded.
Tsvetanov is also standing trial on another count - blocking six court-approved permits to use special surveillance devices against Todorov.
In addition, he is being tried on charges of failing to exercise proper oversight over Interior Ministry officials in charge of implementing special surveillance equipment, as result of which unauthorized wiretapping took place.
Tsvetanov gave up his MP immunity on the two cases.
A decision to lift lawmakers' immunity from prosecution is required for each separate case.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
In Bulgaria, a stark reality persists regarding domestic violence, as highlighted by Assoc. Dr. Aleksey Pamporov from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Bulgarian authorities found themselves grappling with a peculiar case involving a 60-year-old Ukrainian woman
In a pioneering initiative to address road safety, a new campaign will see road offenders receiving letters from relatives of those who lost their lives in accidents
Bulgaria is grappling with a sharp increase in counterfeit currency, with the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) reporting a concerning surge in fake banknotes, particularly those of 100 BGN denominations
In a chilling turn of events, the lifeless body of a man was discovered in Sofia's "Zapaden Park" yesterday, as reported by NovaTV
In a tragic turn of events, a 57-year-old man fatally assaulted a 42-year-old woman in her Cherven Bryag home before taking his own life in another residence
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022